Export image blows up - bug???

[tsoutherwood]

Hi - has anywone had "Export 2D Image"  blow the application up?

I have, repeatibly. It says it's generating an error log, but nowhere I can find (suggestions welcome)...

The error is a Win2k Pro dialogue box that says:

"TurboFloorPlan_.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program.

An error log is being created."

This is on Win2k Pro, SP4, Pentium 4 with 2GB RAM.

I've tried exporting as jog and bmp. However, export 2D image on a blank new project looks like it works...

Cheers

Tim

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Tim,

I have done this many times with no problems and I am also using Win 2000.

Could be a corrupt wall - check that they all join properly. Does the Real View rate the image OK? Have you tried with Hardware Acceleration off?

Allan

[tsoutherwood]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the leads. Unfortunately no banana.

I tried Real View - seems OK. I've tried Repair Project - no change.

And on a copy of the bld file, I deleted ALL the elements including terrain. Still blows up.

Yet, if I make a new project and just run through the default house wizard, that exports OK.

Weird. Do you reckon it's worth a bug-calll to IMSI?

Cheers

Tim

[Allan Chesney]

Tim,

If it works for of with th same PC specs and for you with a new model them it must be in the model itself rather than a general bug.

Why not post the file so we can try it?

Allan

[tsoutherwood]

Hi Allan,

Sure - I'd welcome a second opinion please find attached.

Cheers

Tim

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Tim,

Well I had no problem exporting a BMP or JPG file so I can only assume there is some other software on your PC that may be causing a conflict of some sort.   I notice that you are still using version 12.0.  You could try installing the update - it MAY have some affect on the issue for you.  You will find that the files have to be converted to the new version during the opening process but it asks if you want to just convert a copy, so you will still have the original. I also opened your project in V12.1 and was able to render and also use the export again without any issues.

Attached is a radiosity render and one of the 2D image exports for your interest. The model has obviously lost some of the textures so I did put a roof texture on so it did not look so white on the radioisty render.

Allan

[tsoutherwood]

Righty ho. Thanks Allan for taking the time to do that. The walls and roof are missing their textures, probably because I
imported "real" textures I had created from photos.

I'll try patching TFP up to the latest levels. I hope it is not my Win2000 install, because I only just put it together, specifically for TFP (I normally run Linux on teh same PC, but TFP 3D rendering sucks under VMWare).

I'll report back with my findings...

Again, many thanks.

Tim

[Allan Chesney]

Tim,

It should not be the Win 2000 that is the problem as mine is that also (for V12.1, the V12.0 is on XP).  I actually very rarely use the 2D image export - the Real view gives a much more realistic image (but takes longer of course.) The 640x480 Radiosity image took just over 2 minutes.  Basic render takes 10 seconds.

It will be interesting to see if the V12.1 update fixes it. although a bug in this area has not been reported as far as I recall.

Allan

[Doug.S]

I'm using XPsp2 so no reason for me to try a render and would likely get same result as Allan.

BUT....I'll take an educated guess that the images used for the textures may have caused a render failure....especially if they are too small or too large (pixels x pixels) or perhaps not "square" images or some other image issue such as a file format.

I suggest as a trial that Tim tries a render as before except to delete all (or one at a time to search for the problem) of the "real" texture photos and use TFP internal textures to test renders.

Then again 12.1 may be the solution too.

Also suggest Tim you send a texture or two to Allan or to this forum to try and see if the problem goes to another PC with the photo image textures.

[tsoutherwood]

Hi Doug/Allan,

OK - as you suggested - I have moved the texture directories sideways, so that the house renders as Allan had it just above with white walls.

Still goes pop.

A new house will take my textures and render/export 2D.

I think it might be worth the $5 or whatver to mail a support call to IMSI. I know I can work around, but I don't like brokenness (what else may be corrupted in my building).

Unless you kind folk have any more ideas

Cheers

Tim

[tsoutherwood]

BTW, I did patch TFP Pro to the lastest version as asked...

[Allan Chesney]

Tim,

Earlier I did mention Hardware Acceleration. Did you try with it off? (Program Settings / Graphics).

Allan

[tsoutherwood]

Hi Allan,

HW Acceleration turned off doesn't make a difference. I also deinstalled TFP, cleaned the computer as they suggest (ie looked for IMSI* reg keys and directories), then reinstalled and patched up.

Actually, turns out there is a good reason that I do want 2D export: cutaways.

I think one of the textures I made has something to do with this, as it's still mentioned amongst the binary in the .bld file.

Are there any tools to view all elements/textures in a drawing?

Short of re-drawing it, I'll bung it in to IMSI now. Problem will be giving them a reproduceable fault, as on a difference machine, you seem to be able to render correctly.

I do store all my textures and data on a networked drive via a samba server. So I disconnected the shares and opened a copy of my building.

All white, but 2D render to image still blew up.

I reckon its my computer, in the sense that something in Windows is bent. Or I'm tripping a bug in TFP that you aren't, which does soemtimes happen...

Cheers

Tim

[Doug.S]

good luck with IMSI help, but here are a couple more ideas...based on what you replied...

I don't know about any tools to view all elements except a close (zoom in) user inspection....and all too often a very small object problem causes render issues....so look at everything very closely.

Try (on a backup/copy test file) to eliminate stuff one by one, or 1/2 the drawing at a time, to home in on the problem since your PC can render OK with other .bld files....remove, try render, remove, render until it works...then last item removed is the suspect.....start over with complete file and remove that one item and if render works, you found the problem....takes a while but may be better than a redraw...tho a second time around a re-draw is much faster.

Were you able to do any renders as you were designing? If you were and can remember what you added after that...then you have a clue where to look.

Also try different render formats...both .jpg and .bmp as .jpg was broke in 12.0.

AND from this link....be sure to name the file extension in "save as"....similar all white renders
http://www.cadsoft1.com/customercare/viewtopic.php?t=5341

[tsoutherwood]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for your ideas...

I did try to remove stuff, location by location, until there was nothing left. Even the blank file left blew up. Must be some deep seated corruption...

I gave it up as a lost cause, took the chance to reinstall (oh the joy of Windows and it's sodding obsfucated settings-in-a-million-places; on Linux we generally delete a "dot" directory in the user's home dir and all is reset!). This time, I carefully made some new textures, square and based on powers of 2 pixel sizes as the help file suggests.

Using the old drawing as a reference, I've started to make a new drawing. So far, external walls are in place and export-2D is perfect.

Problem was I didn;t notice Export2D before, so never tried it until I had a complete model.

Oh well, learning experience. I can at least take the time to correct a few constructional errors with the way I did the last drawing...

Thanks again for all your suggestions - I think this one is just random a random b*ggeration effect...

Cheers

Tim